Students smear gulal on each other on Wednesday. Picture by Manik Bose

Ranchi, March 19: With the arrival of spring, people are gearing up for the festival of colours. And the social organisations and clubs are not far behind to make this day a special one.

Clad in yellow saris, Nari Samiti members celebrated Basant Utsav by walking down the ramp at Moti Enclave today. Tomorrow, members of Ranchi Club would put on their dancing shoes to jive with dance troupes from Calcutta to Bollywood Holi numbers like Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali, Holi Khele Raghuveera among others.

The programme titled Rang De Basanti would see Ranchi Club members sporting coloured caps, white kurta pyjama and salwar suits smearing each other with gulal.

ďSpecial arrangements would be made to serve chaat, phuchka, kulfi and meals made of mutton and dhuska,Ē said Jyoti Bajaj, the in-charge of the entertainment committee of Ranchi Club.

But Ranchi Gymkhana Club has decided on not holding the Holi meet this year due to unavoidable reasons.On the other hand, schools and colleges are barring students from playing Holi on the premises.

The schools would remain closed for Holi on Saturday, while the colleges would close from tomorrow. So today, college-goers were seen smearing each other with gulal outside the campus.

H.S. Sahani, the Guru Nanak Higher Secondary School secretary, said: ďWe have been regularly announcing during the assembly that if children play with colour in school, they would be barred from attending classes.Ē

But teachers of a few schools like Cambrian Public School celebrated Holi Milan Samaroh today. School principal G.P. Singh said the teachers performed Holi songs, but students were kept away from the get-together.

Advocates at Jharkhand High Court danced to Holi songs from Hindi films and played with colours today, putting aside their cases and letting down their hair. A grand feast followed.

Social organisations like Rajasthani Association have decided to organise Holi Milan Samroh on March 23.